About 180 will vote on whether to join Monroe

MONROE — People living in a 264-acre area north of town will have a say in November on whether they become city residents.

A general election ballot measure asks the roughly 180 registered voters living in the Roosevelt Ridge area whether they want the neighborhood annexed by the city.

A 60 percent majority and a turnout of 40 percent of those who voted in the last election are needed to approve the annexation, Snohomish County elections manager Garth Fell said.

Just under 300 people live in Roosevelt Ridge.

The city wants to annex the mostly undeveloped area to help fill a need for 1,000 new housing units, planning and permitting manager Paul Popelka said. City officials estimate Monroe’s population, now about 17,300, will grow to 20,540 people by 2025. There are not enough homes to accommodate the growth.

Roosevelt Ridge borders Robinhood Lane on the east. People living on the east side of the street will remain in unincorporated Snohomish County. That territory could be annexed in the future, but there are no plans to do it now, Popelka said.

The city aims to annex Roosevelt Ridge because a developer can connect to the city’s sewer and water main pipeline from there, Popelka said.

If the annexation is approved, people could see a decrease in their property taxes, city officials say.

The property tax in unincorporated Snohomish County for a home valued at $240,000 is estimated at $3,617 a year. Property taxes in Monroe for the same house are estimated at $3,319.

On the other hand, residents could see a slight increase in their utilities because the city has a utility tax.

Residents of the annexed area would pay 6 percent more in their telephone and electric bills, and 10 percent more on their water bills, Popelka said.

The total amount varies by use, so it’s possible that some people would pay less than before, Popelka said.

This is the first time the city is trying to annex Roosevelt Ridge through a vote, but the issue has been discussed for years.

During those years, Scott Chenoweth, 58, has been against the annexation. He has attended City Council meetings, and his wife wrote the statement in opposition that will appear in the voters pamphlet.

“There’s no benefit to be in Monroe. They provide no services besides higher taxes,” he said.

He has been living in the area for 24 years.

People living at Roosevelt Ridge will remain in Snohomish School District boundaries and receive services from Snohomish County Fire District 3. If annexation is approved, they will received police services from the Monroe Police Department.